Is there more to spending time outside than exercise and fresh air?

54% of humans live in urban environments, a number that is set to continue and steadily increase. There are a lot of benefits to living in the city and arguments both for and against it from an environmental stand point. Whatever your beliefs in this area one key problem that arises from city living is the lack of the natural world. Everything in the city is man made. Concrete roads and pavements, plastered walls and ceilings, cars and buses, the list is endless. Even the areas that appear natural often aren’t, mowed grass, weeded flower beds, and neatly lined up trees. If Mother Nature had her way there would be some serious renovations. Every living thing on this planet has evolved to be at the point it is right now. Plants, insects, mammals whatever the species they have all slowly morphed and changed to survive to their specific circumstances.  Humans are no different. We are the direct outcome of our own surroundings. We have been evolving for approximately 200,000 years to fit our surroundings which for the majority or our existence was the natural world. Foraging, hunting, exploring, finding shelter, working with nature rather than against it, that is what we have come from. It is only in the last small portion of our existence that we have started moving away from that lifestyle to live in our man made cities.

On the surface it seems to be working , we are surviving, the population is increasing, cities are growing. But what impact is our disconnection from nature having on our evolution? It is too early to say for certain how this is affecting us but we have been able to see how the modern, changing world has affected other species with shorter life spans. The Peppered Moth, for example, pre industrial revolution, was made up of two variations, 98% of the species was white and black and 2% was fully black. Since the industrial revolution this changed dramatically and the black moths thrived to represent as much as 95% of the species. The theory behind this was that at the peak of the industrial revolution we were burning a lot of coal, which in turn polluted the landscape making everything darker from the soot. The lighter coloured moths lost their advantage from camouflage and the black moths gained an advantage.

The two variations of Peppered Moths shows the way the species adapted to their changing landscape. Credits: Images by Olaf Leillinger

How does this tie in with us having the odd adventure? Because when we are out in wild places, looking up at the stars, cooking on a fire, pushing our bodies physically and mentally we are connecting to our evolutionary past. If you have spent time in the mountains then you have experienced that connection to nature on a much deeper level than is possible in the city. Your senses and intuition are magnified.

“Is that cloud on the horizon a potential storm?”

“Is this snow stable?”

“How much daylight do I have left?

Every decision you make is about reading the environment and adapting. The more time we spend in these places the more we allow those traits to surface and survive. This is what we have evolved from and that is why it feels so right to be doing it. We aren’t designed to be sat indoors 8 hours a day at our desks, working on computers….at least not yet, so lets keep it that way!

This article was first written as a guest post for Project Cordillera a social enterprise that aims to transform adventure travel and contribute to meaningful, positive tourism by building connections between adventurers and the places they go. Find out more at www.projectcordillera.org

Every expert started a beginner

Every expert started a beginner

My name is Josh and I have an addiction. I am addicted to Ted Talks.

I should come clean, while Ted Talks is the real good shit, The Do Lectures, Podcasts, Blogs, all provide a suitable fix. In desperate moments I've even resorted to the odd Vlog (although these mostly leave me with a feeling of loathing for both myself and, overwhelmingly, the vlogger).

I can't get enough of hearing the stories of people who chose to do things a little differently. Business men and women, farmers, inventors, athletes, extreme sports stars, musicians, chefs, it rarely matters who they are, what I find fascinating is why they took a different path, what led them to do it and how they became such an expert in the first place.

It's the last piece that intrigues me the most. How did all these people who are leaders in their particular fields get to that point? How did they get so much experience and confidence to start?

The answer is they didn't.

What I've slowly realised is that every one of these experts was at one point in their lives as clueless as I.

This will probably come as no surprise to you (no, not that I'm clueless!) However, it has taken me the better part of my life to fully appreciate this. Every single person that I look up to as an expert, genius, or pioneer, at one point in their life was a self doubting amateur, stumbling around, trying to figure it all out.

Problem is, this realisation is both a gift and a curse.

It means that my excuses have all suddenly disappeared. No longer can I avoid trying to reach the heights of others simply because they had an unfair advantage over me as they were born more talented/gifted/fearless. Because it turns out they weren't. They faced the same second guessing, they faced the same fears, and they had to spend the same time learning. In reality, there seems to be only two things they have done differently:

1. They found something they enjoyed doing.
2. They started.

This is one of the epiphanies that led to me starting this website. I realised that not one of these inspiring people ever disliked what they did, in fact, the one thing they all have in common is that they love what they are successful at.

I enjoyed spending time living a lifestyle more connected to nature. I also followed a lot of blogs and envied the authors' ability to have their own platform to share ideas with the world. I had only just started learning about sustainability, growing my own food and permaculture, had no concept where the hell you're supposed to put a comma,(is that right?) or even how to write properly. But, I realised if I wait until I am an expert in these areas, then I will never become an expert.

I am not saying I will become an expert, there is a very high chance I have peaked already. What I do know, however, is that simply by starting something that interests me then I am, at least a little, more experienced than the guy who sat down to write the first blog post on here.

If you have a long term goal but feel that you don't have any of the expertise or talent to reach it, THIS IS NORMAL. It's actually probably a good thing because it means you're not over confident. All you really need to do is start and then simply not stop. You may fail along the way but there's no harm in that. At best you'll unlock some hidden talent you never knew was there and become an expert, at the very least you'll become more of an expert than you are now.

And if you enjoy what you are doing in the process then who really cares what the outcome is anyway?

10 easy ways to reduce your impact

We all would like to live a little greener, and we all like lists. Here are 10 easy ways to reduce your impact today and be a little more environmentally friendly tomorrow: 1. Buy a reusable coffee/tea mug. Reusable mugs are cheap, much nicer to drink out of, better for the planet. Treat yourself.

2. Put a brick in your toilet cistern. It's kind of mad that we use clean water to flush our toilets so lets try reduce the madness a few litres at a time.

3. Unplug electronics at night. Turn your computer off (don't just close it), unplug the wifi, turn as much off as you can. Most electricity is created by burning fossil fuels. The more you use the more pollution you are creating.

4. Buy reusable bulk produce bags and avoid using the plastic bags provided. We're all human so if you forget them use the paper mushroom bags from the grocery area instead.

5. Get a map of where you live. Draw a 5km circle around your house. Try to use public transport/walk/cycle/run to places in this area instead of using the car.

6. Avoid shopping at supermarkets. Due to their size they waste a lot of food. Stop supporting them with your money and shop at farmers markets and smaller, local grocery stores.

7. Buy local food where possible. Food that has travelled thousands of miles to get to you has a bigger impact on the planet than food from down the road (most of the time). You don't have to give up on things like bananas or coffee, that isn't available locally, but just choose the local apple over the New Zealand one (unless you live in New Zealand).

8. Take your own containers to the takeout store. I put off asking my local restaurant if I could do this for ages as I thought I was being difficult. When I finally asked them it was no problem at all.

9. Buy organic food. Non-organic food is sprayed with chemical pesticides. Those chemicals damage the ecosystem not to mention your health. If we support organic food we can help reduce this damage.

10. Don't do all the things on this list at once. Start small, maybe try one thing today and then if it goes well try another. We aren't going to change completely overnight but we can wake up with a slightly smaller footprint than when we went to bed.

Do you have anything to add? Share your suggestions in the comments below

Healthy eating is simple

A couple of years ago buying healthy food was easy. I ate five fresh fruit and veg a day, watched my red meat intake, chose whole grains over white wheat, and often purchased products with the words "natural", "low fat", or "healthy" on the box. I purchased my food from the trusted, proper, supermarkets and was doing everything the "experts" told me to. Piece of piss this healthy living. But recently that has all changed. What happened to my easy healthy living? I now hear about pesticides, growth hormones and Genetically Modified foods, why can't all food just go back to being good for me? When did "Natural" become "definitely not natural", "low fat" mean "replaced with something dodgy" and "healthy" wait...surely all food is healthy!?

There is so much confusion around it all, perhaps I can simply follow a nice structured diet plan? Dukan, Paleo, Atkins, 5:2, Akaline, Cambridge....forget it... who has time to figure all that out? It's enough to throw in the towel and just hope pot noodles won't kill me too painfully. Unfortunately, the only ones who pay a price for avoiding the topic is ourselves. Bad food = bad health.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Turns out the answer to eating healthy food is actually the simplest option of the lot. No counting calories, no eating after a set time, no avoiding carbs or only eating carbs. Just eat real food. Organic, fresh, in-season and not processed. Real food that grows in the ground and isn't "extracted" or "added" or "enhanced". The fewer middlemen in-between you and the farmer the better. You don't have to stop eating meat but it probably wouldn't hurt to only eat organic, ethically sourced meat once or twice a week instead.

You don't need to do it everyday but if you want to eat healthier you should probably start someday.

How to reduce waste this Christmas

How to reduce waste this Christmas

I love Christmas. Probably more than a grown man should. It's a great time of the year that really demonstrates our community spirit in a positive light, even if that spirit is based around drinking spirits.

It's also one of the rare times of the year that people eat mostly seasonal food due to the traditions set when seasonal food was the only option.

However, one thing I have struggled with is the waste of Christmas. There is so much social pressure through work, friends and family to buy into the consumerism of it all that it can be hard to stick to values you might otherwise throughout the rest of the year.

Here are some ways to reduce this waste while also avoid being labelled a miserable, anti-Christmas Scrooge.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions in the comments below.

Wrapping Paper

Why is it a problem?

It's often not made from recycled paper and because of all the fancy, shiny stuff added to make it look snazzier, can't actually be recycled, and that's just the paper. The ribbon and bows etc, none of that gets recycled and is made from plastic so is going straight to the landfill.

What is the solution?

Obviously you could opt for not wrapping it at all, but that does somewhat ruin the surprise.  Instead use an old magazine or newspaper. The bonus of this is that if you and your friend have different political views you can even carefully select the pages to add subliminal propaganda to their present.

The office Secret Santa

Why is it a problem?

Is it just me or do you always get assigned the person in the office you know least about? It usually slides quite far down on your priority list and then the day before you panic and buy something in a rush. It can be fun and the gifts often cause some laughter but then what? So often the gifts are throw away items, wrapped in single use plastic, that cause a few minutes of joy but years of misery for the planet.

What is the solution?

As tempting as it is to stand defiantly with a raised Eco fist in the air while everyone around you swaps presents it's probably less damaging on your social status to simply buy ethically. Use the opportunity to give a gift to someone who actually needs it. If everyone at the office brought their gifts form a charity store then the impact is much smaller. The gift is used, the money goes to charity, and if the person has no use for it they can just return it to a charity shop afterwards.

Christmas Cards

Why is it a problem?

We send cards all over the country to show people we are thinking about them at Christmas which is an amazing display of love for friends and family. However, that card is often made of non-recycled paper and is covered in glitter and shiny bits and pieces so can't be recycled afterwards. It is also, like many Christmas traditions, a disposable, single use item. Once the card has been on display for a few weeks it is put in the recycling, but often not actually recycled. That's an unnecessary waste of energy and resources for a picture of a snowman and a few thoughtful words.

What is the solution?

If you absolutely have to buy cards make sure they are small, of recycled materials and can be recycled. It still uses a lot of energy to produce and recycle them though so why not make them yourself out of used cardboard. Alternatively, call someone and have a chat instead. It will mean far more to them than the card and leaves no impact.

Christmas Tree

Why is it a problem?

I always loved the Christmas tree at home it was a sign that Christmas had arrive. However, it does seem quite a strange tradition to decorate a dead tree in the corner of your room for a few weeks. Sure it smells and looks lovely but it really isn't the best for the environment. There are alternatives to the cut tree in plastic form, but then, why are we putting up a plastic tree in our house?  Not to mention the waste when all that plastic inevitably goes to the landfill.

What is the solution?

Source a potted tree that you can bring in for Christmas and move outside afterwards. Not only is this better for the environment it actually saves you money too.  However, why restrict yourself to keeping trees inside for only 1/12th of the year? Buy an indoor plant and just leave it in the house all year round.  You can still decorate the tree but just lay off the tinsel. That plastic, shiny shit isn't helping anyone.

Overall consumerism of it all

Why is it a problem?

The tradition of Christmas has long been diluted and morphed into what it is today. The main focus has become spending money. The media is obsessed with it and nearly every advertisement is focused on selling Christmas. We have fully bought into this and spend hundreds every year on gifts for those we love. While the giving and receiving of gifts is a magical thing, it has got way out of hand. No matter what the product, even ethically sourced ones, if you buy something new, then energy and resources are used. Mo' presents, Mo' problems.

What is the solution?

The hard line is to not buy into any of it, enjoy the festive time with family and friends, eat good food, drink, laugh, and drink some more. But it is hard to take such a drastic measure when everyone else around you has gifts to exchange. Instead just be mindful of the spending, go with quality over quantity. It is the perfect time to try to make something yourself, buy something second hand, or better yet gift someone to an experience. An experience has a reduced impact and is something that you can do with that person thereby strengthening the relationship. A memory lasts a lifetime...and so does plastic.

Over the top Christmas decorations

Why is it a problem?

If you have to ask you're probably at the wrong website.

What is the solution?

Disown your neighbours.

Finally, don't be too hard on yourself. Even if you only manage to do one thing that you didn't last year then you have still reduced your impact. If everyone does one small thing to reduce their impact then the world is moving in the right direction.

Do you have any suggestions for ways to reduce your waste at Christmas, I'd love to hear in the comments below.